To your first paragraph, I would say it still doesn’t make a lot of sense. I do think your average conservative benefits from conservative rulemaking/enforcement in a “sundown town,” look-the-other-way-if-you’re-one-of-us sort of microcosm, but when you look at the effects of conservative policymaking on a macro-social and -economic level, it’s clear that middle-Americans are still getting a worse deal than they would under more progressive regimes.
I grew up upper-middle class and have largely the same philosophy. Always thought my friends’ parents were idiots for buying these gas guzzling Ford/Chevy monstrosities just to haul around 1-2 kids and a dog on occasion. Regular salaried people spending/financing more than half their annual income every few years on cars they don’t need just to keep up with the Joneses who don’t really care in the first place.
I don’t skimp on quality when I buy something, but I only buy what I actually need and if something serves its purpose, I hold onto it for as long as it works. My wife and I do very well now, but aside from living in a fairly nice neighborhood with great public schools and amenities, you wouldn’t think it from the cars we drive and the way we dress.